This Week's Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25 (NLT)

The Birth of Jesus the Messiah

¹⁸ This is how Jesus the Messiah was born.  His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph.  But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

²⁰ As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.  For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.  ²¹ And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
²² All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

²³  “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
    She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
    which means ‘God is with us.’”

²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.  ²⁵ But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born.  And Joseph named Him Jesus.